Applicator combined with vertically movable-transversely adjustable sectional doctorblade



M h 1955 R. w. LE MlEUX ETAL 3,240,134

APPLICATOR COMBINED WITH VERTICALLY MOVABLE-TRANSVERSELY ADJUSTABLE SECTIQNAL DOCTOR BLADE Filed Feb. 18, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS ROBERT W. LE MIEUX RIC ARD G. WAGNER March 15, 1966 w, LE ux ETAL 3,240,184

APPLICATOR COMBINED WITH VERTICALLY MOVABLE-TRANSVERSELY ADJUSTABLE SEGTIONAL DOCTOR BLADE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18, 1963 M h 1966 R w. LE MIEUX ETAL 3,240,184

APPLICATOR coMBINEb WITH VERTICALLY MOVABLE-TRANSVERSELY ADJUSTABLE SECTIONAL DOCTOR BLADE Filed Feb. 18, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,240,184 APPLICATOR COMBINED WITH VERTICALLY MOVABLE-TRANSVERSELY ADJUSTABLE SEC- TIONAL DOCTOR BLADE Robert W. Le Mieux, Fruitport, and Richard G. Wagner,

Muskegon Heights, Mich, assignors to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 258,987 3 Claims. (Cl. 11810S) This invention relates to coating or finish applying apparatus and more particularly relates to apparatus for applying a finish or coating to a bowling lane surface.

In the maintenance of surfaces such as wood surfaces, it is often necessary or desirable to apply a coating or finish to the surface, particularly where excessive wear has occurred. For example, in bowling establishments, the bowling of a ball upon a lane produces surface wear which eventually wears through the lane finish, and in the absence of maintenance, such wear would eventually attack the wood of the lane base to an extent rendering the bowling lane unfit for its intended purpose. Wear on bowling lanes is particularly heavy in the normal ball travel attern for a right-hand bowler.

The wear upon the lane caused by continual bowling is usually checked by periodically sanding and applying a new coating or finish to the surface before the worn areas unduly damage the lane. Conventionally, such refinishing has often been scheduled on an annual basis with refinishing occurring usually during a slack bowling period. The refinishing process has, in the past, required the application of three or four thin coats of finish, permitting drying between the coats. In recent years, with increased popularity in bowling, bowling establishment proprietors have become less inclined to close lanes for the extended period previously required for refinishing purposes, i.e. for the application of a plurality of coats.

More recently, efifort has been concentrated on the development of devices which will permit application of a finish to a bowling lane in one step, i.e., in one coating (after application of a base coat), thereby eliminating the time required for the application and drying of a plurality of successive coats.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a new and useful apparatus for applying a coating or finish to a surface.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and useful coating applicator for finishing a bowling lane by puddling the coating material and spreading the coating material from the puddle in a one step procedure eliminating the necessity for applying a plurality of thin coatings.

It is another object of this invention to provide for improvements in a coating applicator and various portions thereof.

It is also an object of this inevntion to provide an applicator in accordance with any of the foregoing objects wherein the pool or puddle of finish on the lane is peripherally controlled on all sides so that upon discontinuation of the flow of finish on the reservoir to the puddle, a measured amount of material remains in the puddle so that the operator knows how much finish remains to complete the application, i.e. in the contained puddle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide such an applicator wherein a reservoir communicates with the pool or puddle of finish on a bowling surface to provide a pressure head for controlled flow of the coating composition out under the spreader means so that visual determination that there is fluid in the reservoir informs an operator that the coating material is being applied all the way across the bowling surface.

3,24%,134 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 Another object is to provide spreading means which are yieldably mounted on the applicator carriage and are spaced from the bowling surface by ridges on the spreading means to control the finish thickness at the point of application so that finish material may be more evenly applied where there is a change in elevation along the lane.

Another object is to provide such a spreading member having grooves adjacent the ridges to permit passage of additional finish material to compensate for the space taken by the ridges engaging the bowling lane surface, the additional material flowing into depressions left by the ridges after passage over the lane surface.

Yet another object is to provide such an applicator in accordance with any of the foregoing. objects with auto matically vertically adjustable end gates which are urged downwardly and seek the width of the bowling lane to prevent flow of coating material to the gutters and to compensate for any dohble which may normally occur during pasage of the unit down the bowling lane.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a new and useful valve, which may be in the form of an elongate plastic tube operated by a handle to and from a seat at an elongated outlet from a reservoir in a coating applicator, the valve being disposed for control of fluid flow immediately adjacent the point of application of coating material for more exacting cutoff of fluid flow, e.g. to permit movement of the applicator to another surface.

It is a still further object to provide an applicator in accordance with any of the foregoing objects including a yieldable spreading means, such as may be formed of cooperating transverse sections, which will conform to lateral irregularities in the bowling lane surface.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent to those in the art from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a form of finish applicator in accordance herewith in position for finishing a bowling surface;

FIGURE 2 is a partial side view and section of an applicator such as that illustrated in FIGURE 1 showing certain internal and external structure;

FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view of the applicator shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a partial front view of the applicator shown in FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged partial section of a portion of the flow control system usable in an applicator of FIGURES 1-4, associated therewith as generally illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a section of a portion of an applicator such as illustrated more generally in FIGURES 1-4 showing in detail another portion of the flow control system and features attendant thereto;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded and enlarged face view of multiple spreader blades of the apparatus of FIGURES 14 showing details of adaptations of the spreader blade for control of applied finish thickness and association of the blades with each other; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged section through FIGURE 6 along line 8-8.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.

Referring first to FIGURES 14, there is illustrated an embodiment of an applicator indicated generally by reference numeral 11. The applicator includes a carriage having a frame 12 and supporting means for movement of the carriage in the form of wheels 13 and 14, guide means 15 and support bar 16. Mounted on frame 12 is a handle 18 having a gripping end or portion 19 and locking ends 20. Handle 18 is pivotally and slidably mounted by means of pins 21 passing through slots 22 in the handle, the pins being anchored to frame 12.

For association with the pair of locking ends 20 of handle 18, there is provided a pair of lock receiver members 23 mounted on frame 12. Each of lock receiver members 23 includes two locking surfaces 24 and 25. It is apparent that handle 18 is pivotable about points 21 and slidable longitudinally with respect thereto, the longitudinal sliding movement of the handle being limited by the length of slots 22. Referring especially to FIGURE 2, the handle 18 is pivotably movable between a lowered position (with locking end 20 abutting or locked against lock receiving surface 24 as shown in full lines) and a raised position and is also movable to a free position. The raised position of handle 18 is shown by a portion of locking ends 20 in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 with locking end 20 abutting locking surface 25.

By pulling handle 18, eg from end 19, longitudinally upward with handle 18 in raised position, handle 18 may be moved longitudinally the extent of slot 22 to unlock end 20 from surface 25 and permit free pivoting of handle 18. This is the free or unlocked position. With the handle 18 in free position, the handle may be gripped at end 19 for pulling the carriage to the right as shown in FIGURE 2 for use in application of a coating to a surface such as a bowling lane surface.

From free position, the handle 18 may he slid downward to the left as viewed in FIGURE 2 to lowered position as shown in FIGURE 2, e.g. for preventing dropping of the handle 18 to the surface upon release. In lower position, ends 20 are locked against surfaces 24 by the weight and inclination of handle 18.

The carriage is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 in its normal position with respect to inclination on a surface of a bowling alley with rollers on guide means 15 disposed in the lateral bowling alley gutters and with the carriage generally resting on the surface by means of wheels 13 and support bar 16. In this normal position, most of the weight rests on the wheels 13. With handle 18 in free toward the operator and, the carriage merely follows the operator down the bowling alley. Support bar 16 ,is slidable overthe bowling surface. Prior to releasing the handle, the operator may place handle 18 in lowered locked position to prevent dropping of the handle to the floor. Where it is desired to move the device down a lane or between lanes, handle 18 may be placed in raised position and pulling on the handle, due to the lever action of handle 18, will then readily permit tilting of the carriage to a position not shown with the carriage supported on wheels 14. This is the inclined position of the carriage and in such position guide members 15 and support bar 16 clear the bowling alley surface and the applicator may be moved over other surfaces, e.g. for movement between bowling alley lanes. The pushing action on end 19 urges locking ends 20 tightly against surfaces 25 so that the handle is maintained locked in raised position during movement of the applicator. During periods when the operator releases gripping end 19, the weight and inclination of handle 18 is suflicient to maintain the handle in raised locked position, if desired. However, the applicator is so balanced that upon release of handle 18 from downward urging, the carriage returns to normal position as shown in FIGURE 2. Handle 18 may then be moved to lowered position or free position as desired.

A first reservoir in the form of a tank 28 is secured to and supported on frame 12 of the carriage. Tank 28 has an inlet 29 for introduction of liquid finishing or coating materials. A vented cover 30 is provided for inlet 29. At the lower end of the tank an outlet located generally by reference numeral 31 is provided through a flow control valve 32 and a conduit 33 for discharging and directing fluid to a second reservoir or trough 34.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 5, valve 32 is controlled by a plunger rod 37 extending from a handle end, or handle 38, to the valve 32 for control thereof from the operators end 19 of handle 18. Rod 37 is slidably mounted at its upper end to handle 18 by means of a suitable brace and mounting 39 permitting sliding of rod 37 therethrough. Rod 37 passes through a packing gland 46 mounted in a tubular bracket 41 secured to tank 28, into tank 28 and through tank 28 to valve 32. Adjacent valve 32, rod 37 is again slidably mounted by bracket 42 secured to valve 32, valve 32 being supported by and secured to the walls of tank 28 in sealed relation therewith.

On its lower end, plunger rod 37 carries the valve plunger 43 which includes a seating surface 44 for seating against an O-ring 45 defining the valve seat. Thus, by operation of handle 38, plunger 43 may be moved between a valveopen position with plunger 43 retracted from O-ring 45 and a valve-closed position with surface 44 resting against or pushed beyond O-ring 45. Plunger 43 is slidable within cylinder 46 and may be moved by handle 38 so that surface 44 extends beyond O-ring 45 and into cylinder 46 if desired. Cylinder 46 is threadedly mounted within cylinder 47 at one end thereof and cylinders 46 and 47 and bracket 42 form the valve casing.

Between handle 38 and the entrance of rod 37 into tank 28, there is provided a universal joint 48 for permitting pivotal movement of handle 18 as described hereinabove without disconnection of rod 37. For this purpose the universal joint may advantageously be located reasonably close to the pivot line of handle 18 so that undue sliding of rod 37 through bracket 39 will not be necessary during raising and lowering of handle 18.

Referring now especially to FIGURES 1-3 and 6, trough 34 is provided for receiving flow of liquid from tank 28 through valve 32 and conduit 33. Trough 34 is carried by and may form a portion of the frame 12 of the applicator carriage. Trough 34 is provided with a valve indicated generally by reference numeral 50 for controlling flow of liquid through outlet 51 in the bottom of trough 34. The outlet from trough 34 in an advantageous embodiment is in the form of a linear array of outlet ports 51 extending almost the entire width of trough 34 for dispensing liquid upon a surface therebelow throughout the width of the applicator device. An elongate seating surface 52 is provided surrounding the linear array of outlet ports 51.

Disposed between an upstanding plate 53 and an opposing wall of trough 34 is the Valving member 54 of valve 50. Valving member 54 is an elongate hollow resilient tube which may be, for example, of rubber or plastic construction such as a rubber or plastic hose section. An end plate 55 is secured to each end of tube member 54 for preventing flowing of liquid into the interior of tube 54.

Tube 54 is mounted to the bracket end 58 of each of two plunger plates 59, the tube being secured by tight fit between the spread ends 58 of plates 59 respectively for movement with plates 59 toward and away from seating engagement with surface 52 at outlet ports 51. Plunger plates 59 are adjustably mounted to plunger rods 60 by mountings 61 which are threadedly adjustable on the threaded portion of plunger rods 60.

Each of plunger rods 60 is provided with biasing means in the form of a compression spring 62 which normally biases between frame 12 and a flange member in the form of a washer 63 on rod 60. The biasing of springs 62 tends to raise rods 60 and plates 59 carried thereby for movement of valving member 54 away from ports 51 to permit flow of fluid therethrough. Thus, valve is normally urged toward open position (not shown).

Valve 50 is restrained against opening, i.e., valving member 54 is retained against movement to raised position, by means of arm 66 which is pivotally mounted at 67 to a bracket 68 secured to frame 12. Arm 66 is operable for pivoting about point 67 by means of lever arm 69 pivotally attached to arm 66 by pin 70. Lever arm 69 is pivotally connected at 71 to a link 72 pivotally mounted to bracket 68 at 73. Arm 69 is operable from a pedal or handle and 74 accessible to the applicator operator, as shown in FIGURE 1.

Valve 50, shown in closed position in FIGURE 6, may be opened by raising pedal end 74 which causes link 72 to both pivot on bracket 68 with pin 71 moving over center from pins 70 and 73 in a clockwise direction. Link 72 pivots clockwise moving lever 69 to the right with pin 71 traveling in an arc. Lever 69 causes arm 66 to pivot about point 67 in a clockwise direction to permit springs 62 to raise valving member 54 to its unseated raised position.

To' close valve 50, end 74 of lever 69 is depressed and pushed forward causing pin 71 and link 72 to pivot counterclockwise about point 73. Pin 70 is urged arcuately to the left pivoting arm 66 counterclockwise about pin 67 to force plunger rods and valving member 54 downward to seat against the urging of springs 62. Link 72 returns to the position shown in FIGURE 6 with point or pin 71 traveling over center with respect to points or pins and 73 to lock arm 66 in the position shown in FIG- URE 6, thereby locking valving member 54 in seated position against the urging of springs 62. Thus, a positive lock is provided for maintaining valve 50 closed against the urging of springs normally tending to open the valve.

Below trough 34 and valve 50 and communicating with trough 34 through outlet ports 51, there is provided a chamber or reservoir in the form of an enclosure 77 having a top enclosing cover or wall surface 78 which is, in the illustrated embodiment, the outer surface of a portion of the bottom casing of trough 34. ()ne of the side enclosing walls of enclosure 77 is the inner surface of support member 16 and the ends of enclosure 77 are formed by inner disposed surfaces of blocks 79 enclosing the ends of chamber 77 having lower inclined surfaces 80. The other side enclosing wall is provided in the form of a gate or blade 81 which is spaced from the surface (indicated at 82) to be coated to form an outlet gap 83 between blade 81 and surface 82 for flow of liquid coating material from enclosure 77 and for spreading of the liquid over surface 82 by the spreader blade 81.

The side and end walls of the enclosure may be considcred as being dams and the enclosure may have no covering wall, if desired. However, the covering wall is advantageous in that it provides positive containment of the puddle in all directions and although peripheral containment of the puddle of coating material dispensed through outlet 51 may alone be desirable, the more complete containment (with the the exception of gap 83) is particularly preferred. In providing the complete containment of the puddle, with valve 50 open the supply of liquid coating material in trough 34 is in fluid communication with enclosure 77 and creates a pressure head from trough 34 on the puddle within the enclosure, assuring continuous flow of coating material and even distribution thereof through gap 83.

Gate or blade 81, is the spreader member in the applicator and, referring especially to FIGURE 7, is constructed of three separate blade members 86, 87, and 88. Blades 86 and 87 are mounted on frame 12 by pins 89 extending into bores 90. Bores 90 are larger in diameter than pins 89, permitting free limited vertical and lateral movement of blades 86 and 88 with respect to frame 12. All of the blades are facially constrained, but are vertically and laterally slidable between frame 12 and a wall 91 of trough 34.

Means normally biasing each of the blades 86 and 88 downward are provided in the form of biasing plunger assemblies 92 (FIGURES 1, 6 and 8). Each of assemblies 92 includes a screw member 93 which is threadedly adjustable in a threaded bore in frame 12 and which acts as a ground for a compression spring member 94. Spring 94 acts against a plunger 95 to bias the plunger normally downwardly. Plungers 95 rest on the upper edges of blades 86, 87 and 88 to urge the blades dovmward-ly against the surface 82 under the biasing of springs 94.

A plurality of any number of blades may be provided, to form one continuous laterally extending blade across the entire desired coating area. More than one blade, e.g. both of alternate blades 86 and 88, are provided with spacers in the form of projections or ridges such as teeth 98 on the lower or spreading edges thereof. Teeth 98 serve to maintain spreader blade 81 spaced above surface 82 to provide the desired gap 83. The individual blades 86 and 88 may be provided with various heights of teeth 98, depending upon the desired coating opera tion. Blades or blade sections having different height teeth 98 may be used together to form a blade or gate 81, if desired, or all teeth on all blade sections may be of the same size.

Adjacent each of teeth 98 there is provided a groove 99 which extends upwardly and beyond the normal plane of the spreading surface of the spreader blades. Groove 99 is provided to permit suflicient additional coating material to flow through gap 83 adjacent teeth 98 to fill any voids or depressions in the coating which may be caused by travel of teeth 98 upon the surface to be coated.

On the end of'each of the alternate blades 86 and 88 there is provided an abutment 100 disposed and adapted to support an adjacent blade by an engaging abutment 101. Thus, in a preferred form, the remainder of the blades, other than the alternate blades having teeth, are provided with abutments 10 1 for abutting abutments 100 to support the remainder of the blades, e.g. blade 87, and to provide the correct gap 83 therebelow. The gate member or blade 81 in the preferred embodiment is therefore a flexible gate member or blade which is adapted to conform to any convex or concave surfaces laterall'y on the bowling lane. As the applicator is moved over the surface to be finished, the gate, in view of its flexibility, conforms more neanly to the surface being coated. Of course, the greater the plurality of blade members forming gate or spreader bar member 81, usually the more flexible the gate will be for conforming with irregular surfaces.

The side blocks 79 which restrict or prevent flow of fluid from the ends of chamber 77, are best illustrated with reference to FIGURES 3 and 4. Blocks 79 are provided with lower surfaces 80 declined or tapered outwardly and downwardly. The blocks 79 are slidably mounted within rectangular framework provided by frame 12 and areclosely associated with the framework to inhibit escape of coating material from between the blocks and framework, in such cases where the coating material is under a pressure head. Each of blocks 79 is further provided with a pin 104 extending therethrough to prevent droppage of block 79 from the framework, e.g. upon tilting of the carriage to its inclined position resting on wheels 14.

Side blocks 79, comprising the lateral dams for chamber 77, are spaced from each other the distance corresponding to the desired width of the coating to be applied, e.g. spaced so that surfaces 80 will rest upon the opposite edges of a bowling surface with the pointed lower ends of the blocks 79 extending downwardly within the gutter. Thus, the vertically slidably mounted blocks 79 laterally contain the liquid coating on the bowling surface and the lower faces are adapted to follow opposing lateral edges of the lane over the length of the lane even though the lane edges may wander laterally. Blocks 79 are sufiiciently weighted to be normally urged against the bowling lane edges.

Referring especially to FIGURES 1-4, guide means 15 are provided for guiding the carriage during its travel over the length of the bowling lane. Each of guide means 15 includes a roller 106 rota'tably mounted at 105 on an eccentric, carried by a mounting shaft 107 which is secured in a clamp bracket 108 by means of bolts 109. Clamp brackets 108 are suitably secured as at 110 to an extension 111 of frame 12. Rollers 106 are spaced from each other so as to ride on opposing edges of a bowling lane or surface for guiding the carriage.

The disposition of rollers 106 with respect to each other may be altered or adjusted as desired by loosening bolts 109, which releases shafts 107 for rotation within clamps 108 until rollers 106 carried thereby contact the lane edges and retightening bolts 109 to secure shafts 107 within clamps 108 against rotation or pivotal movement.

The applicator is provided with a gauge for determin ing the amount of liquid remaining in tank 28. The gauge is in the form of upstanding transparent vented tube 112 mounted by bracket 113 to the casing wall of tank 28. The lower end of tube 112 communicates through double elbow connector 114 with the bottom of tank 28 so that the readily viewable level of transparent tube 112 is maintained the same as that in tank 28. Tube 112 may be marked if desired with indicia of level as is conventional in such gauges.

It is apparent from the foregoing that an applicator has been provided with many advantageous features. For example, pool or puddle of finish on the bowling alley may be controlled on all sides in an enclosure and a known quantity of fluid may be maintained within the enclosure so that upon closing the valves feeding fluid to the alley it is known just how much fluid remains for spreading from the enclosure. Further, the open top of trough 34 permits visual inspection of fluid therein and flow of fluid therethrough. A gauge maybe provided for readily determining the amount of liquid coating remaining in the reservoir. The valve means for controlling fi-uid flow to the bowling alley surface, i.e. the final fluid control system, is immediately adjacent the point of application of the fluid for quick response in stopping and starting the fluid flow.

The levelling member or bar is flexible and yieldably mounted on the carriage and is spaced from the surface to be coated by teeth or ridges comprising spacer members on the bars themselves. Thus, the apparatus of the above embodiment is adapted to control the finished thickness right at the point of application rather than before or after the applicator passes the point of application. Further, the flexibility permits adjustment for either concavity or convexity in the alley surface. Additional fluid, in one embodiment of the spreader bar members, may be applied to the valley to compensate for any void or depression in the finish which may be occasioned from the spacer members. The end gates of the enclosure are automatically adjustable, being normally urged downward, e.g. by gravity, to prevent flow into the bowling alley gutters, continuously seeking the width of the alley. The adjustable gates also compensate for any Wobble normally occurring during pulling the unit the length of the alley.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for applying a coating or finish to 5 a bowling lane surface by passage of a generally horizontal spreader means on a carriage over a puddle of coating material, the improvement which comprises means mouting said spreader means for vertival movement with respect to said carriage, said spreader means being disposed across said carriage and comprising a plurality of at least three spreader members aligned endto-end and disposed across said carriage, alternate ones of said spreader members including spacer means projecting downward from the spreading edges of said members for supporting said alternate members from the lane surface and including support means at an end thereof for supporting the end of another one of said members intermediate said alternate members, the intermediate member being supported at each end by said supporting means on one of said alternate members for pivotal movement 'with respect to said alternate members, said plurality of members riding over the surface to be coated spaced from the surface by said spacer members during a coating operation and generally conforming with lateral irregularities in the surface to be coated.

2. In an apparatus for applying a coating or finish to a bowling lane surface by passage of a generally horizontal assembly of spreader means on a carriage over a puddle of coating material, the improvement which comprises means mounting said spreader member for vertical movement with respect to said carriage, said assembly of spreader means being disposed across said carriage and comprising first spreader means, means mounting said first spreader means for vertical movement on said frame, said first spreader means extending over a portion of the area to be coated, a second spreader means supported and carried by said first spreader means and extending across a remaining portion of the area to be coated, and including spacer members projecting downward from the first spreader means, said assembly of spreader means riding over the surface to be coated spaced from the surface by said spacer members during a coating operation and generally conforming with lateral irregularities in the surface to be coated.

3. An apparatus for applying a coating or finish to a bowling lane surface by passage of a generally horizontal spreader means over a puddle of coating material, comprising a carriage, spreader means comprising a plurality of blades including first and second spreader blades, means mounting said first and second spreader blades in spaced positions on said carriage for vertical movement relative to said carriage, and a third spreader blade supported by and between said first and second spreader blades, said spreader means being disposed across said carriage, and spacer members projecting downward from the spreading edges of said first and second blades, said plurality of blades riding over the surface to be coated spaced from the surface by said spacer members during a coating operation and generally conforming with lateral irregularities in the surface to be coated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,234,233 7/1917 Terry ll8l08 1,368,816 2/1921 McNulty 118-108 1,372,533 3/1921 Moo're 222509 2,577,927 12/1951 Stoclcmar 222509 MORRIS KAPLAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A COATING OR FINISH TO A BOWLING LANE SURFACE BY PASSAGE OF A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SPREADER MEANS ON A CARRIAGE OVER A PUDDLE OF COATING MATERIAL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MEANS MOUNTING SAID SPREADER MEANS FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID CARRIAGE, SAID SPREADER MEANS BEING DISPOSED ACROSS SAID CARRIAGE AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF AT LEAST THREE SPREADER MEMBERS ALINGNED ENDTO-END AND DISPOSED ACROSS SAID CARRIAGE, ALTERNATE ONES OF SAID SPREADER MEMBERS INCLUDING SPACER MEANS PROJECTING DOWNWARD FROM THE SPREADING EDGES OF SAID MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING SAID ALTERNATE MEMBERS FROM THE LANE SURFACE AND INCLUDING SUPPORT MEANS AT AN END THEREOF FOR SUPPORTING THE END OF ANOTHER ONE OF SAID MEMBERS INTERMEDIATE SAID ALTERNATE MEMBERS, THE INTERMEDIATE 